English — Advice: should / ought to / had better
To give advice or say what you expect, use should, shouldn't and ought to before the base verb: You should rest. To criticise a past action, use should have + past participle: You should have called.
How it works
Should and ought to have the same meaning for advice: You should see a doctor = You ought to see a doctor. Both are followed by the base verb with no to (except ought, which keeps to). Had better ('d better) gives a stronger warning about a near future: You'd better leave now. For the past, should have + past participle says the right thing was not done: You should have booked earlier.
Examples
| Example | Use |
|---|---|
| You should rest. | advice: this is a good idea |
| You shouldn't smoke. | advice against: this is not a good idea |
| You ought to apologise. | advice (same as should, a little more formal) |
| The train should arrive at six. | expectation: this is probable |
| You'd better hurry. | strong advice / warning about now |
| You should have called. | past criticism: the right thing was not done |
Good to know
After should there is no to before the main verb: say You should go, not You should to go. Only ought keeps to: You ought to go. Also, don't add -s or -ed to the verb after these forms: You should goes and He shoulds are wrong.